Every Day Is Special: February 16

February 16 - World Pangolin Day

(Third Saturday of February)

Posted on February 16, 2019

Do you know this odd creature?

Pangolins are sometimes called scaly anteaters. And scientists once thought that pangolins were closely related to anteaters and armadillos - they kinda sorta resemble them, don't you think?

Above, anteater. Below, armadillo.

But it turns out that pangolins are more closely related to Carnivora, a group of mammals that includes dogs, wolves, cats, lions, hyenas, bears, seals, and other meat-eating creatures. We know this because of DNA evidence.

So...why do pangolins look more like anteaters than like bears?

Creatures evolve (gradually change over time) because some traits enable them to succeed in living and having babies and passing on their genes. Those favorable traits become more common in populations, and many creatures end up being sort of specialists in a particular "niche."

A niche is a particular lifestyle in a particular environment. Since there are eight different species of pangolins living in Asia and Africa, pangolins don't all live in exactly the same environment, but they all live in forests or grasslands, and their specialty (or niche) is eating ants and termites.

Pangolins have a lot in common with anteaters - even though they aren't closely related - because they have similar niches. Both creatures have long, narrow snouts - the better to get into anthills and termite towers - and they both have long, sticky tongues - the better to actually snag ants and termites. Neither of these mammals have teeth; they swallow their tiny prey whole.

Above, pangolin tongue.
Below, anteater tongue.

Pangolins are similar to armadillos because both have armor, of sorts. Pangolins have hard, overlapping scales made of keratin (the same stuff that makes hair, fingernails, claws, hooves, and horns). Armadillos have a tough, leathery shell (also made of keratin!) that is patterned as if it were scales - but it's not made of separate scales.

Above, pangolin armor. Below, armadillo armor.

Also, both creatures roll up into balls when they are threatened!

Above, ball o' pangolin.
Below, ball o' armadillo!

These similar protective strategies work for a creature who isn't super running away from predators - like, say, an antelope -

- for a creature who isn't enormous - like, say, a giraffe or elephant -

- for a creature who doesn't live in large herds and count on confusing coloration to muddle predators - like a zebra -

- for a creature that isn't covered with sharp quills - like a porcupine -

- for a creature that isn't armed with unpleasant stink to shoot at predators - like a skunk -

There are lots of different strategies to try to avoid becoming someone's dinner, and although the roll-into-a-ball-and-wait-it-out strategy is unusual among mammals, it works fairly well for pangolins and armadillos.